Flood-like situation in Rajasthan: NDRF, Army deployed as over 70 airlifted from affected areas

Torrential rains triggered by the Southwest monsoon have created flood-like situation in four districts of Rajasthan where six people have reportedly died and more than 70 airlifted, officials said on Sunday. The Met department has issued a warning of heavy to very heavy rainfall in isolated places in Eastern parts and heavy rainfall for isolated areas in Western parts of the state in the next 24 hours.

Baran, Pratapgarh, Chittogarh and Jhalawar are the worst affected districts.

Army, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and RAC (Rajasthan Armed Constabulary) have been deployed in the affected areas and several people have been shifted to safer places. Army has been deployed in Baran while many people were airlifted by Air Force from different locations in Baran and Pratapgarh district since Saturday, relief secretary Rohit Kumar told PTI.

He said Army, NDRF and RAC were deployed in Baran while NDRF and RAC teams were in Chittorgarh and NDRF in Jhalawar and Pratapgarh was having RAC teams doing the rescue work.

Defence spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Manish Ojha said that a total of 72 people have been airlifted since Saturday. "At least 34 people were airlifted in Baran district on Saturday and 38 were airlifted in Pratapgarh on Sunday. More airlifting is also likely," Ojha said.

Water logging was reported in various areas of Jodhpur. Image courtesy: ANI/Twitter

People were rescued from seven locations in Baran and nearby region by Indian Air Force helicopter.

Six persons of a family died when a portion of their house collapsed in Baran district. The house collapsed leaving Laxmi Narayan (72), his wife Shanti Bai (70) and four others of their family members namely Deepu (18), Anita Bai (26), Aishwarya (10) and Suraj (9) dead, police said.

Four others were also injured in the incident and are admitted at the district hospital, police added.

The Southwest Monsoon has been vigorous for the last two days, triggering torrential rains at isolated places in Udaipur division, heavy to very heavy in Kota and Udaipur divisions and light to moderate at many places.

According to Met department, Danpur (Banswara), Arnod Sr (Pratapgarh), Badesar and Nimbahera (both in Chittorgarh) each have received 23 cm rainfall since Saturday. Badi Sadri (Chittorgarh) and Pipalkhunt (Pratapgarh) recorded 22-cm and many other places received below 22-cm rain during the same period.

Dabok, Barmer, Kota, Jaipur and Ajmer have also recorded 56.2, 30.59, 2.6 and 0.3 mm of rainfall respectively, it said. Meanwhile, water level in Chambal river in Dholpur on Sunday crossed the danger mark.

The water level is posing threat of flood-like situation in more than two dozen villages near the river. Rajasthan agriculture minister Prabhu Lal Saini and minister of state for transport Babu Lal visited the rain-hit areas in Baran and reviewed rescue and relief works.

They also distributed cheques of Rs 4 lakh each to the next of the kin of those killed in a house collapse in Karwai area. They distributed total Rs 24 lakh as compensation, a release said. The ministers also gave necessary directions to official to provide relief to the affected people and conduct assessment of losses caused by the heavy rain.